In a world where image means everything and where individuality collides with morality, there are three young men who possess a unique gift of blurring the lines and bridging the gap with their music. Austins Bridge is made up of Mike Kofahl, Justin Rivers, and Jason Baird. These three young men share a passion for music but more importantly, the deep desire that they each possess to reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ. Austins Bridge have just released their debut self titled release produced by Bubba Smith on Daywind Records. Although, the group is new, the members are far from novices. Let’s take a look at how Austins Bridge was built.


Before Austins Bridge
Justin Rivers was born and raised near Mobile, Alabama. He answered the call to ministry at 11 years old and became a great musician in his own rite. Some have said that he is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, playing the piano, drums, bass, acoustic, electric guitar, banjo, mandolin, and fiddle. It wasn’t long after he answered the call that he began traveling and playing for a professional group which he stayed with throughout high school. After that, he began playing with the notorious Crabb Family. Mike Kofahl also felt called into some sort of ministry early in his life. He decided to go to a Christian college where he traveled and sang in college choirs. It was then that he felt that music was something that he should pursue, and God led him to Justin and Jason. Jason Baird also sang with other groups before joining Austins Bridge. As a matter of fact, Jason was a youth pastor in Austin, TX and also led worship until a friend suggested that he audition for a group (similar to Truth) called Living Word. Jason won a slot with this group and was singing 4 to 5 shows per week.


Developing The Sound
Each member of the group brings diverse influences to the table. Jason was brought up around jazz and he especially loves the tight harmonies. Mike on the other hand listened to a lot of country music while Justin feels that Black gospel music was a big part of his life because of the soul and the lyrics in each song. With such vast differences in musical styles, I am wondering how these influences meshed together. Mike defines their style as “contemporary pop country bluegrass with a little bit of funk.� Jason goes on to say, “It’s one of those God things. It’s not anything we have to work at to figure out. It just kind of happens.�

Sharing The Ministry
Amazingly enough, before Austins Bridge signed a recording contract with Daywind Records, there were main stream country record labels interested in signing this group. As a matter of fact, their high energy performances and soaring harmonies have been compared to that of country trio Rascal Flatts. “Our first priority is ministry,� says Mike. According to him, that is the first and foremost thing that Austins Bridge is about. As matter of fact every member of the group came to a prayerful agreement that signing a contract in any other label was right for what we wanted to do. “If our music and our message migrates into another genre of music, that is great because that’s the message going that much further, but we just felt that for Austins Bridge, spreading the word that we hold so close to our hearts is where it’s at,� says Mike.

For more information about Austins Bridge, log on to www.austinsbridge.com or www.daywindrecords.com. The self titled release Austins Bridge debuted March 20, 2007.

All unoriginal material used by permission from Daywind Records.

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